Friday, July 15. 2005

On Friday afternoon, Dana Galkovitch, the victim of a Kassam fired into the western Negev was laid to rest at Kibbutz Bror Hayil. Netiv Ha'asara, located just north of the Erez crossing, and Nahal Oz, located east of the Karni crossing, suffer direct rocket hits MK Yitzchak Herzog representing the government spoke at the funeral, ensuring the mourners that Israel would not give the bombers "one day of quiet."

He added that Israel has shown restraint in the past despite the continuing terror by Palestinians, but he said that that situation would not continue for long.

Herzog made clear that Israel would use all her military strength to root out all forms of terror and would go after the perpetrators in their villages, cities and wherever they are located.

The government was responding to a night of rocket fire at Israeli targets throughout the western Negev, as consecutive barrages pounded towns and kibbutzim, raining over 40 Kassam rockets and mortars and killing Dana Gelkovitz, a 22-year-old resident of Netiv Ha'asara.

In response, the IDF divided the Gaza Strip into three security sectors by setting up checkpoints west of Netzarim in the north, and at Gush Katif Junction in the south. IAF helicopters struck Hamas targets throughout the Gaza Strip, in Jabalya, Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah, while politicians and security sources promised that the recent barrages would not go unanswered, and emphasized that the tentative cease-fire that had been in effect since February was effectively over, as Al-Aksa Martyrs' Brigades and Hamas both took responsibility for the deadly rocket attacks.

However, following the air strikes that targeted, among other places, a frequently-used rocket launch site near a Khan Yunis cemetery, and a building that IDF sources claimed to be a weapons storehouse, rockets were launched once again against Israeli targets.

The "Shachar Adom" early-warning system installed to allow Sderot residents to prepare themselves ahead of incoming rockets, registered five "landings" early Friday morning, two of which fell in the town, and three fell in neighboring communities.

Two Israelis suffered from shock and were treated by MDA teams.

The rockets took a more deadly toll Thursday evening, when Dana Galkovitch was hit by a direct strike while she and her boyfriend sat on the porch of their Netiv Ha'asara home. Galkovitch's boyfriend, Amir Rogolsky, who was wounded by shrapnel, called out for help, crying that "I think my girlfriend has been killed."

Rescue teams that arrived on the scene were unable to save the 22-year-old communications student at nearby Sapir College, who hailed originally from the western Negev kibbutz of Bror Hayil.

In the same barrage, another three rockets were fired at Netiv Ha'asara, one of which caused extensive damage to a house, and left a resident lightly wounded. Two more were fired at the northern Gaza settlement of Nisanit, three at the Gaza settlement of Netzarim, four were fired at Nahal Oz and yet another fell slightly earlier near Sderot.

Three mortars were fired at Jewish settlements in Gush Katif as well, including one that fell near the house of David Hatu'el, whose wife and four children were brutally killed in a May 2004 attack that horrified the nation.

Both Hamas and Fatah's Al-Aksa Martyrs' Brigades took responsibility for the attacks. Hamas added that the rockets that they fired were in revenge for the IDF's actions in Tulkarm, where a member of the Palestinian security services was killed by soldiers.

IDF sources said that Hamas's involvement in the latest barrages showed the "true face" of the organization, and speculated that these barrages, especially when coupled with Tuesday's deadly suicide bombing, signaled an end to the delicate ceasefire that had been in effect since February.

Yuval Shteinitz, Chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, said in response to the deadly attack on Netiv Ha'asara that Thursday's events were simply the tip of the iceberg unless the government does not immediately pursue a "Operation Defensive Shield 2," a reference to the April 2002 operation in the West Bank that critically damaged the terrorist infrastructure throughout the area.

The city of Sderot awoke this morning to a renewed round of Kassam rocket fire by terrorists in Gaza. Seven Kassams hit the Negev city and environs, and close to 20 have hit Katif.

Several Sderot residents were reported to be suffering from shock following the attack, and were treated by Magen David Adom personnel on the spot. The rockets hit at around 7:30 AM. The Red Dawn early-warning alert system worked, providing residents with 15-20 seconds of advance warning before the missiles landed.

One Arab-fired rocket landed in the N'vei Eshkol neighborhood, shattering windows of one house. Another rocket landed near the HaRoeh School in Sderot, which is empty of students during the summer vacation. The other rockets landed in relatively open areas.

Angry city residents held a stormy p! rotest demonstration this morning. "Sharon Bore'ach, Kassam Rotze'ach" - "Sharon Runs Away, While Kassams Kill" - was the theme of the rally, which included burning tires.

Gush Katif also came under heavy attack over the night and this morning. The terrorists fired at least ten shells early this morning: four at N'vei Dekalim, four at Gadid, one at Netzer Hazani, and another one at Rafiach Yam. No one was hurt, though several houses were hit.

Later this morning, another four rockets hit Gadid, followed by another one that smashed into a home in N'vei Dekalim; no one was hurt, but heavy damage was caused. Residents have been asked not to walk around outside unnecessarily. The IDF has not retaliated.

The attacks at the Negev continued around noon with a Kassam rocket at the Shaar HaNegev Industrial Zone. A fire broke out as a result, but no injuries were reported.

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